Broomcorn harvester



Nov. 18, 1930. A. SMI TH BROOMGORN HARVES TER Fild Dec.

13, 1926 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

Nov. 18, 1930. A. SMITH 1,781,961 BROOMGORN HARVESTER FiledDeo. 15,1926 4 Sheets-S heet 2 w KM Nov. 18, 1930.

A. SMITH BROOMCORN HARVESTER Filed Dec. 13, 1926 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 IN VEN TOR,v

Nov. 18, 1930. A. SMITH BROOMCORN HARVESTER Filed Dec. 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Ill l'il i ih z INVENTOR.

fig-5 Patented Nov. 18, 1930 AUGUSTUS SMITH, OF- DENVER, COLORADO AssIGnon. TQ. CATHERINE TERESA DALY AND MARY BARBARA 'DALY, BOTH OF'VBILLINGS, onta gn BROQMCORN I-IARVESTER 7 Application filed. December13, 1926 Serial N'o.' 1154,e21.

My invention relates to a machine for harvesting the brush head or top from broom corn stalks growing in rows in the field, and provides means for harvesting the brush head units with substantially'uniform length of stem irrespective of any variation oftypeof plant, Whether tall medium or dwarf, and irrespective of irregularities of individual plant growth along the rows.

' In the ordinary method adopted in the past for gathering broom corn of the 'tall variety, an advance operator walking along a given row seizes the growing stalk at a point a few feet above the ground and bends;

the uppermost portion down to an approximately horizontal pos1t1on. Thereafter the actualreaper walking along the samerowremoves the stem sheath or boot: from the brush and cuts the. brush head from the bent stalk with a handknife, placing the cut brushzat the-baseof the stalks to free-his hands for subsequent operations, latergathered by still a third operator andbundled. V

In contrast to this my machine is adapted. when propelled along the row by animal or other power, to at one operation cont inuously gather and hold the brush heads erect before a cutter, cuttheni from the growing stalks.

serially deliver them still erect toward the rear of the machine, strip the stem sheath or boot from them, lodge, bundle, tie, and deliver the finished product behind the-machine at a? relatively high rate of speed.

These highly desirable objects are accomthe plished by the mechanisms illustrated accompanying drawings, in" which V Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the entire mawith the dofiing reel removed; Fig; 3 is a rear elevation of the complete machine;'Fig. 4 is an elevation onlline H of Fig.1; Fig. 5

delivering mechanism as seen near the front end of the machine; .F1g 6 1s a section on line 66 of Fig. 1 Fig. 7 is an end elevation:

members 17 18, and 19. from whence they are chine; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the machine is an enlarged plan view of the gathering and PATE O I-TIQE enlarged detail of a portion-of, a guide idler assembly, Fig. 1() is an enlarged plan detail of a fragment of one form'of gathering and delivering band showing gripping elements; Fig. 11 isa section through framework on faceview of the elements shownin Fig. 10.

7 Referring to the drawings, under-frame 1 l tached to rotatable inainshaft 3, on idle road Wheel 4, and on caster wheel 5. Under-frame 1 has cross member 6 arched upward. Mounted on under-franie 1 is ,tiltable frame 7 piv oted at 8 and vertically slidable in guide shoes 9. Frame 7 comprisesrforwardly and rearwardly extending parallel spaced horizontal spars 1 0 separated by rigid drop 'center tie bars Hand 12, downward 'fcurvedfspar eX- tensions13-,lrigid guide frame structure 14, horizontaljstringers 15 and .16, and cross Spars 1O carry vertical bearings,20,' 21', and 22in which aresupported shafts23, 24, and 25 carrying wheels 26, 2 7, and 28;. Around thesewheels endless gathering bands29 are wrapped as shown. Bearings 21 and 22 are ri idly attached tospars 10",, but forward bearings 20 are mounted in spring controlled 7 take-ups comp-rising brackets 30 pivoted on the spars at, one end and engaging shafts 23 j r line 11-11 of Fig. 1; Fig. 121s enlarged; j i

aining. a

whichla'tter extend vertically downward and carry bevelpin'ions 3a engaging bevel gears 35 and 36 on, cross countershaft 37.

Shaft 37 is supported in bearings 3Scarlied on stringers; 15 'and 16, and carries sprocket attached thereto by disconnect- V ing friction clutch l Q-operatedby shifter 41 and hand lever42... Rigidly attachedtqmain shaft 3""ss'prockice 2 et 43 connected with sprocket 39 by drive spaced chain 44.

Somewhat to the rear of wheels 27 and below the lowermost pair of gathering bands are sickle guide fingers rigidly attached to tie bill: 12 and carrying sickle-bar 46 reciprocablyi-movable by eccentric strap 47 engagiing eccentric 48 attached to longitudinal drive shaft 49, shaft 49 being supported in bearings 49? and: 49 u v Toward the rear and also below the lowermost gathering-bands are located rotatable horizontal booter cylinders 50- mounted on shafts 51 and 52 carried in bearings 53 guided for horizontalslidingin brackets 54 attached to frame-structure 14. Shafts 51 and 52 carry sprockets 55 and 56 connected respectively through drive chains 57 and 58 with sprockets 59 and 60 on short longitudinal co'u-ntershafts 61 and 62. Shafts. 61 and 62 are carried in bearings 63 mounted on members 17 and18 and have at their rear ends bevel pinions 64 engaging bevel gears and ,Booter' shaft 52 also carries sprocket 65 communicating by chain66 with sprocket 67 on longitudinal sickle-drive shaft 49.

Booter cylinders 50. have a plurality of short peripheral radial blades 68 of aflexible material or of a yieldably mounted semi; rigid material. Pivoted on shafts 511and52 are pendent links 69having their lower ends pivotally attached to hand lever 70. Lever; 7 0 is supported-at one end for slight oscillation by. linkage 71 on framework 1 4, andi's yieldablyi supported intermediate ofits lengthby spring 7 2-which is also attached to framework 14.

Supported on stringers 15 andlti whiehare rearwardly SllSPfiIlClGClflOlll eXtensiQIlS 13 is inclined table 73 similar inmake-up and acce sories to the well known bundle table of grain harvesters, exceptin the usual single bundle tie linotter, twoknotters 74 are in this case mounted; with their.

accessories in spaced relation within, and upon the table. Since the mechanismoftlm knotters and-their accessoriesmay be of. any well-known construction and since the, tying means per seis not a part of the presentins vention. it is merely indicatedinthe drawings. Said mechanism is driven [in harmony withvthe other appurtenances of themachine through bevel gears 75, inclinedf shaft, 76, bevel gears 77 and longitudinal countershaft,

78. Shaft 78 is mountedinbearings 79 and) 80 attached to cross member 19 'andstringer 16 and has at;its forwardend bevel pin on 8.1.. engagingbevelgear 36.

slightly below/spars 10 isv shallow tray or 82 supported on ties;11 and frame structure 14. Communicatingbetween booters and'bundle table is receiving' apron 83.."

Maiii sh aft- 3' is carried in bearings 84 rigthat implace of V Disposed longitudinally between but idly attached to underframe 1. Bearings 84 have formed thereon guide shoes 9 engaging upright guide members 85 forming part of the guide frame structure 14. Directly above main bearings 84 are threaded blocks 86 rigidly mounted in the guide frame structure at either side and engaging vertical screw shafts 87. Shafts 87 are provided with hand -w-heels 88 at their upper ends while their lower ends engage depressions 89 in top of main bearings 84. Thus it will be; noted that by manipulating hand wheels 88 simultaneously tiltable frame .7 may be raised or lowered resulting in a shifting of its pivot points along guides 85, frame7carrying with it practically all the motive mechanism of the machine as a unit, the location of cross shaft. 37 being so chosen that only a slight slackening or tightening of drive chain 44 will occur throughout the two extremes ofupward or downward travel of the tilting frame along the guide shoes 9.-

Pivotedin uprights 90 rigidly attached'to' under-frame 1 are threaded nuts 91 engaging rearwardly extending screw shafts 92 and 93. Shafts 92 and 93 pass through eyes 94 on-tiltingframe, the shafts being collared at 95 and-96 each sideof said eyes. Near the rearends of shafts 9,2and 93 are sprockets 97' connected by chain 98. Shaft 92 on the left hand side of the machine is slightly extended and carries cranked handwheel 99. It will be seen'that by manipulating the crank on handwheel 99 tiltingframe 7 may be drawn forward or thrust backward thereby elevating or depressing the gathering device at the forward end ofthe machine as well as the sickle mechanism, the. location ofnuts 91 be ing-so chosen .that'the inclination of1the spars 10 will not be markedly disturbed by any desired adjustment of the tilting frame along guides 85.

Disposed at intervals between spars 10 are bearings 100 having slots 101 supporting verticalshafts 102 carrying idler rollers 103 engaging the inmost strands of bands 29. Verticallshafts 102 have lateral'arms 104 engaging apertures 105 .in spars and encircled by springs 106 so mounted that opposed pairs of idlers are urged toward each other against bands 29 but are limited in lateral movement by the length of slots101. Idlers 103 are preferably comprisedof, a body portion 107 of. yieldable material such as rubber, a; core 108 of rigid material such as iron, and a flange 109 of tough-nonmetallic material such as, fiber. i

from their faces alternated withprojecting rigid prongs 110 preferably of a slightly hooked form and .of' rigid material such as steel; bands .29 being so arranged upon their strand of each band are opposed to the prongs" of the other band as the bands traverse the longitudinal space between spars; I Y

shaft to sprocket 67on sickle drive'shaft, and also downward leading chains-57 and 58 from sprockets 55 and 56, are so mounted as to be, normally in a somewhat slackened condi-; tion, so that booter cylinders may be caused to approach toward or recede from each other by manipulation of hand'lever 70 without materially affecting driving conditions.

Uprights 111 attached to spar extensions 13 carry bearings 112 in which are journalled shaft 113 having secured thereto 'doifing reel 114. Sprocket 115 fixed to shaft 113 comtransmitted to bevel pinion 81 and thence torearward longitudinal countershaft 78, to! bevel gears77, to inclined shaft7 6, to bevel munioates through chain 116 with sprocketv 117 fixed to cross shaft 37.

Drivers seat'118 located the lefthand:

side of the machine gives the operator easy access to handwheel 97, levers 42 and 70, and also permits him to observe the guiding, elevation, and performance of the sickle and the gathering mechanism.

In'operation, the machine being assumed to have arrived at the desired point in the field with the principal mechanism disconnected from the road wheel, the tilting frame is first raised or lowered along the guide shoes' 9 the proper amount to bring the cutter sickle to the average suitable height for the field to be harvested by manipulation of handwheels 88. Thereupon with the machine under power and a directed along the first row selected for har-' vesting, the clutch 40 is" engaged by means of hand lever 42, whereupon power from traction wheel 2 is delivered through main shaft 3 to sprocket 43, to chain 14, to sprocket 39,

to cross shaft 37, to bevel gears 35 and 36, to bevel pinions 3%,to wheels 22, and thencet-o gathering bands 29, the motion of the bands being backward along the central portion of the machine. At the same time power from I; bevel gears 35 and 36 is transmitted through pinions Sarto longitudinal countershafts 61' and 62, to sprockets 59 and 60, to chains 57 and 58, to sprockets and 56, to shafts 51 and 52 and thus to booter cylinders 50, the resulting rotation of these cylinders being in-' ward and downward.

Likewise powerfrom booter: shaft 52 and sprocket is transmitted through chain 66,

sprocket 67, and longitudinal shaft 49 to eccentric 48' and eccentriccstrap 47, causing sickle bar 46 to be-reciprocated;

7 Furthermore, power from bevel gear 36 is gears and thence to knotters 74 and their ct 115, to shaft 113, and thus to d-ofling reel ner to the .well known ance of my machine.

114, the resulting rotation of thereel being downward and to the rear.

As the machine is continuously propelled Y along the row with the spars 10 astride the Chain 66 connecting sprocket 65 on bootergrowing stalks the operator so varies the elevationof the foremost end of the tilting frame from time to time as to cause the prongs of the gathering bands 29 to engage the grow- 7 ing brush heads from either sideat points spaced vertically along stem and branch, said points being solocated uponthe plants as'to produce the desired length of stem on the a product after cutting As the machine ad vances,'the growing stalks, whetherupright or 1ncl'1ned,-are" drawn inward toward the cutting throatbetwe-en wheels 27 where coir verging strands of the gathering bands gen-- tly grip the brush, holding it in anupright position' without injury, while it is'cut' from its stalk by the. advancing sickle. 1 After being cut from the stalks the brush heads continue to be gripped between the now parallel strands'of the bands'which are kept taut bysprings 32 of take-up mechanism and urged toward each other by the resilient idlers 103 p and springs 106," so that as the strands continue to travel rearward thesuccessive brush heads as cut away from thei'r parent stalks are t retained serially in an uprightvposition. In

the meantime tray 82is safeguarding against any undue downward slipping of any stem during its-passage. I I

Upon arrival adjacent the b-ooter the conical shape of the forward endof booter cylinders 50 serveto guide the approaching stems accurately between the cylinders, where tlre downward moving-blades 68 applying a vari'able pressure, controllable at will by the operator through hand lever 7 0, against the successive stems operate to remove the stem sheath or boot, Whichlatter falls-to the ground below while the brush heads, still gripped 73 in a suflicientnumher the brush head units are automatically! by the pads and prongs of the gathering b: mds','1: roceed over and beyond the booter' gathered into bundles,tied at two points along their lengtlnand discharged ina similarman gramharveSter, along the side of the machine.

' It will'be noted that the machine as shown 1 V is arranged for two tying points='on*the bundles instead of one as in the case of grain bundles, and it maybe evenfound desirable to provide ties at additionalpoints in excess' of 7 two 7 alongthe bundle length, which may obviouslybe done without in any way affecting the essential operations ofthe bal- Friction clutch 40,in addition to. provid mg means for connecting;anddlsconnectmg,'

is intended to i providea flexible driving ratio between road wheel 2 andthe balanceof the mechanism. Thus-,- if during the-operation of the machine along; any r-ow'it should be found to occur that the backward speed of the gathering bands does not; properly synchronize with the forward movement of the machine along the ground in-such a way. as to maintain the gathered stalks in a. suitably erectposition for cutting, the operator may slightly adjust the speed ratio from time to time by causing the friction clutch to more or less firmly engage-its'working faces.

The upward arching of crossmember 6.

is for the purpose of avoiding-undue forward bending; of colliding standing stubble and the consequent entanglement ofthe latterwith the sickle.

I claim a 1. In a broom cornharvester adapted to operate upon a row of standing broom corn, a frame mounted upon road-wheels, a cutter for removing the broom from the growing frame supported on road wheels,-broom gathering and broom cutting means attached to said frame, gripping means for holding, the cut brooms substantially erect, means for delivering the brooms continuously to and beyond the cutting means, booter cylinders in the path of travel of the moving brooms for removing the stem sheaths from said brooms, and means for checking misalignment of the stems of the moving brooms.

3. In a broom corn harvester adapted to. traverse a row of standing broom corn, a pairof opposed chains trained over a series of wheels adapted to operate in a substantially horizontalplane, asimilar; pair of chainsand series of wheels in superposed spaced relae tion. to said first chains and wheels, gathering and gripping'means formed upon or attached to the faces of said chains, and means for driving said chains in unison withtheir in-L most adjacent: strands moving mlike: direc-' tion.

consist of a plurality of resilient pads alternated with a plurality of rigid prongs,,said2 4. The combination set f'orthin claim 3 in, which the said gathering and gripping means chains beingsoi-trained and maintained-upon, their wheelsthatthe pads and prongsonthe inmost adjacent strandsof opposedchains are in staggered relatiomand thati each} case a pad. is opposedto. a prong throughout the travel of the inmost strands.

5. The combination set forth in claim 3. together. with a booter, said booter compris ing substantially horizontal opposed cylinders adapted to; rotate, a plurality of yieldable longitudinal radial blades upon the periphery of said cylinders, means for. driving said cylinders, and means. for varying the separation between said cylinders while they are-under. motion.

6. In a broom cornharvester adapted to traverse a row of standing broom corn an under-frame mounted onroad wheels, a tiltable su aerstructure ivoted u on said 111- der-frame, a cross shaft mounted UIJOILSiIlCl under-frame, bearings compris ng pivots for said superstructure mountedupon said shaft, guide shoes formed. upon said bear, ings, guides formedv upon. sa d superstructure and engaglng said shoes, spaced parallel and substantially horizontal. spa-rs extending forward of said superstructure, vertical shafts. carrying wheels mounted upon said spars, pairs of bands adapted to function upon. either side of said row of broom corn trained over said wheels for gripping the stems and branchesof said broom, corn, abooter mounted along the pathway of said bands, a cutter mounted upon said spars along the pathway of said bands, and means for driving said bands, said cutter and said booter in suitable synchronism. I

7., The, combination set forth in- ,claim 6. wherein said driving means comprises motive power derivedf'roin road wheel or wheels through combinations of driving chains and gearing;. together with rneansfor varying,

and controlling the movement of the superstructure vertically along the said guides without disturbing the, driving relations of the various motive parts of the machine. 1

8. The combination set forth in claimv 6, together with a series ofopposed spring controlled guide idlers for engaging the inmost adjacent strands of saidbands and assisting the gripping act-ion of said bands on said broom corn stems and branches.

9. The combination set forth in claim 6, wherein said driving means comprises motive powerderived from the road Wheel or wheels through combinations of driving chains and gearing; togetherwith means for varying the speed'oftravel of the bands relative to the advance of the harvester along the ground.

10. In a broom corn harvester, a frame supported on roadwheels, a-tiltable frame pivoted to the first-mentioned.frame, broom cuttimg means and broom boot ng means mounted upon the tiltable frame, means for r to receive the broomsfrom endless members for gathering and successively presenting the brooms to the cutting and booting means, and means for tilting and lodgingthe cut brooms at apre determined time after passing the booting means. 7

11. In a broom corn harvester, a frame supported on road wheels, a tiltable frame pivoted to the first-mentioned frame, broomv cutting means and. broom booting means mounted upon the tiltable frame, means for successively presenting the brooms to the cutting and booting means, means for lodging the/cut brooms progressively as they pass" beyond the booting means, and means for I bundling and tying successive accumulations of the lodged brooms. g 12. In a broom corn harvester, a frame supported on road Wheels, broom cutting means on said frame, means for delivering the brooms to the'cutting means, and means for keeping the stems of the moving brooms in alinement as they approach and pass through the cutting means. I 13. In a broom corn harvester, cylinders having longitudinal ribs adapted to remove the stem sheaths from the brooms, means for conveying'the brooms and sheaths to saidber.

20. In a broom corn harvester, endless ly opposed to the prongs on the other memmoving members for gathering and conveying the corn, resilient means on the members for engaging the corn, and idlers havmg resilient surfaces maintaining the members in position. g g

In testimony whereof, AUGUST"U S SMITH,

the applicant named infthe application for patent, Serial No. 154,621, filed December13,

1926, hereby afiixes his signature to the specification filed with said application.

cylinders, and means for driving the cylin ders and the conveying means. V 14. In a broom corn harvester, cylinders having resilient ribs adapted to remove-the stem sheaths fromthe brooms, means'for conveying the brooms and sheaths to said cylinders, and means for driving the cylinders and the conveying means.

15. In a broom corn harvester, means-for gathermg standing broom corn and holding same erect, means to cut the brooms from the stalks, a doffing reel to mov e. the'brooms from said erect position, and tying means the dofling reel and bind them in bundles.

16. In a broom corn harvester, cylinders adapted to remove the stem sheaths from the brooms, means for conveying the broom and sheaths to said cylinders, means for moving the cylinders closer together'or farther apart to maintain their operativenessunder different conditions, and .means'for' driving the cylinders and the conveying means.

17. In a broom corlrharvester, a frame supported on road wheels, a tiltable'frame.

on said fran1e,broom corn gathering,

and

cutting means on the tiltable frame, means I for tilting the latter frame, and means apart from the foregoing for raising and lowering the entire tiltable frame relative to the firstmentioned frame. f

18. In a broom corn harvester, endless moving members, and resilient and rigid means on the members cooperating with eaclr other for gathering and conveying the broom corn, and means for driving said members. 19. In a broom corn harvester, moving conveyf .A sUsTUs'sMITH. 

